AWE enabled yes or no?

  • How does this apply to a 64-bit OS with 32-bit SQL Server 2000?

    We have 16GB of RAM and I currently have AWE enabled with Max and Min Memory set leaving enough for the OS.

    Should I take off AWE?

    Should I give lock pages in memory privilege to the SQL Server account?

  • Jason Crider (1/22/2009)


    How does this apply to a 64-bit OS with 32-bit SQL Server 2000?

    We have 16GB of RAM and I currently have AWE enabled with Max and Min Memory set leaving enough for the OS.

    Should I take off AWE?

    Should I give lock pages in memory privilege to the SQL Server account?

    You should keep AWE enabled and keep the lock pages in memory privilege for the sql account.

    As far as you SQL is concerned, you are in a 32-bit box.

    Have you considered upgrading your SQL installation to 64-bit? AWE is a half measure really, and it would make sense for you to take advantage of the capabilities of the 64-bit architecture.

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  • Have you considered upgrading your SQL installation to 64-bit? AWE is a half measure really, and it would make sense for you to take advantage of the capabilities of the 64-bit architecture.

    Of course!

    I have a box that's the same specs that is x64 on the OS and 64-bit SQL Server 2005. We are slowly migrating over to that box as I can convince developers to work with me on the conversion.

  • I hate to say this but ... I would have thought x64 and awe were all nicely sorted by now, neither is exactly new technology are they.

    First x64 - the awe box does nothing AT ALL it's there because the dialog is shared. There is no such thing as awe in x64 world.

    You only need lock pages in memory for x64 if you're concerned about other applications taking memory from sql server, if you don't have other applications then the memory will not get swapped out.

    One thing for sure is that x64 really needs more memory for o/s to be sure and lots of things use lots of memory - especially on multicore boxes - you'd be pretty daft with anything less than 32gb of ram on a 4 way quad server.

    x32 - there is only awe and it allows access to extended memory beyond the 2gb VAS. the /3GB switch increases the size of the VAS to 3GB ( from 2GB ). With 4GB ram you can use either /3gb or awe ( assuming versions of o/s and sql support )

    You will need the /PAE switch on older hardware but most modern servers with w3k3 R2 automatically enable all the memory so you don't need the boot.ini switch. ( check out hardware DEP )

    As for x32 on x64 - well you get a VAS of 4GB - personally I've never considered going this route.

    I fail to see what the "problems" are with x64, it works fine and has done for some years, you should be aware that exchange is only x64 and it's rumoured that the delays to sql 2008 were due to the team not wanting to release a x32 version. Expect the next server o/s to possibly be 64 bit only. Please please search out microsoft knowledge on memory - the one problem with the internet is the volume of absolute cr*p that gets out there - I'll also ask for those talking about x64 to declare if their opinions are heresay or from actually using it. I've been using x64 for several years - I sometimes get fed up with post being negative about something the poster dosen't actually use! rant over

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  • Whilst on the subject of AWE I have noticed that the SQL Server log on one of my new SQL 2008 servers says:

    SQL Server is not configured to use all of the available system memory. To enable SQL Server to use more memory, set the awe enabled option to 1 by using the sp_configure stored procedure.

    This server though is running 2008 SP1 Standard Edition on Win 2003 R2 SP2 standard edition (32 bit) and only has 2GB of memory. The min/max memory parameters in SQL are set to the default of 0/2147483647 so why does 2008 recommend enabling AWE?

    I built two servers the same, one is saying this at startup and the other isn't.

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